Mask Point Extension Handles Must Die

Is there any version of Hitfilm that allows you to turn mask point extension handles off?

The more I use Hitfilm the more I like it, truly I really really do no kidding, except for mask point extension handles which are for the first time starting to make me wonder what other video editing options I should be exploring.

The extension handles are incessantly in the way, causing the all important feature of masking to take 5 times longer than necessary. While you're trying to get rid of the pesky buggers you inadvertently wind up creating more mask points, which also come with their own uninvited extension handles. It becomes maddening after awhile.

Honestly, I don't want to learn how to manage extension handles whatever way the coders had in mind. I want them to die.

Turning them on/off would be ideal, because I do see that they would be useful in some circumstances. But if turning them on/off involves more coding than is practical, I cast my one little vote that mask point extension handles be removed from Hitfilm.

Is there any way to solve this now? Or is there relief in sight coming down the road before too long?

Thank you for enduring this whiny bitch-fest, and thanks indeed for Hitfilm!

@CedricBonnier I suppose options to lock handles, or force them to be a certain type when editing could be useful, but my experience is rebelling at the concept of eliminating mask handles. Hitfilm's handles work exactly the same as everyone else's, from any vector drawing app through Vegas and AE.

@Juda1, thanks for the tip. I did manage to learn that a little while back, and it has surely helped quite a bit.

CedricBonnier, thanks for your patience, I will try to reply in kind. I want to emphasize that this arises as a problem for me because I really like Hitfilm and am thus using a lot. The composite feature is exactly what I was looking for.

Triem23, I do agree the handles could be useful. Ideally I wouldn't want them killed either. I suggested that only as a fall back option if all else fails.

The best solution for my use would be that the extension handles be off by default, and if I want them in a particular spot then I take some action such as control clicking to make the handles appear for that mask point.

In my use I do find control clicking to switch the mask point between linear and rounded to be useful.

As you wisely stated in some previous post before I was ready to quite get it, masking in general is an incredibly useful feature. Being able to animate a mask is also coming in really handy. I basically love everything about Hitfilm masking with the one exception of the auto extension handles, which are obviously the work of Satan. :-)

Again, apologies for the whine. I designed web interfaces for 20 years before I retired and became a child again :-) so I can be incredibly anal about the tiniest interface issues. Whenever I mention the word "interface" around the house my wife covers her ears and runs screaming from the room.

Which reminds me, this post has a really bloated interface using way too many words! I want something done about this and I mean RIGHT NOW!!

We covered this the first time you complained, and I agree they're annoying. They don't need to be off though, because you'd then need a key to turn them on again. There just needs to be a way for them to not be bezier mask points, because then they wouldn't have handles in the first place.

If you can keep the mouse completely still when you click: static point, no handles. If you happen to drag the mouse while clicking (even a little bit): handles. So, if Hitfilm stopped being 'helpful' and only produced bezier+handle points while you were holding down another key - SHIFT/ALT/CTRL, pick a free one - problem solved. It doesn't need to be more complicated than that, or take long to implement.

That said: if devs have programming time to do this: DON'T BOTHER: spend it on a locked layers toggle.

BTW, unless you put @ in front of someone's name, they don't get told you're trying to tag them. Cut'n'Paste of a name to try and avoid typing it again, also doesn't work, even if you then stick an @ in front of it. It's typing it in full with an @ first, or nothing.

Palacono said, "If you if you can keep the mouse completely still when you click: static point, no handles."

Right. This is the design flaw. Few people are going to be keeping the mouse completely still when they are reaching for a mask point in order to move it. They are instead going to want to click and drag (like a million other computer functions) and not just click. And then drag later.

The "completely still" interface to this feature forgets how real human beings edit video in the real world, in sort of a creative frenzy. Reaching the satisfaction of that creative frenzy state is the whole reason amateurs are interested in video editing in the first place.

Palacono said, "Cut'n'Paste of a name to try and avoid typing it again, also doesn't work, even if you then stick an @ in front of it. It's typing it in full with an @ first, or nothing."

No, it's at creation time that the points are static or bendy, not when you go to move them later. Maybe they could be in different colours to avoid confusion? Then you could correct a mistake right away; however it was caused.

Just to be clear, I wasn't talking about removing bezier mask points, just tweaking how they are created.

@Palacono Layer locking is a lot more complicated. It's on the list as well but will take a lot more time than a few minutes/hours. Again, please be patient, we're doing what we can to make the most people happy as possible.

@PhilTanny To create a linear mask point, simply click without moving the mouse. To create a bezier mask point (bendy as you call them), click and drag the mouse. This is the current behaviour (since HitFilm 1)

We KNOW that this isn't working properly, causes confusions, isn't very user friendly, etc, etc, etc. We will work on improving the user experience as soon as possible (do not read that we're doing it now though, I can't promise anything).

@CedricBonnier perhaps as a 'band aid', different colours for point types would help until you get a chance to give it a more thorough going over?

As a smaller task, might it be easier to prioritize over something more involved? It's the not knowing that you've made a 'mistake' until later that's the frustration driver, whereas with visual feedback: you'd have something to help you learn to be more precise with your movements, until the alternative solution is implemented.

Aha! Aha! Well that certainly helps. Thanks so much Cedric and Palacono.

Obviously I was misunderstanding the situation entirely. If I now understand correctly, I need only be careful when creating the points. Once the linear points are carefully created with Buddha-like precision I can then move them around with creative frenzy wild abandon. I just did a quick test and this seems to work.

If I have it right now, I'm willing to call this a good solution. I'll give this new understanding a go and see if it cures me of mask whining.

But please understand, while the whine blocking feature of Phil Tanny version 65.8 has been under development for some time, we're unlikely to ever fully finish it.